Nipple Fissure w/ Older Nursling Experience?

[tawferdo]

I am currently nursing ds3 who is 2.5 years old and am having my second bout with horrible open wounds at the base of my nipple. This happened the first time when he was under a year old. We also had on and off thrush at the time, so I attributed the fissures to that...but now it's starting again and I have NO other signs of a yeast problem. It is horrendously painful and I have to stop nursing on one side, hand express until it heals, and then switch sides and start the vicious cycle all over again. This took a few months to get over last time. I am currently pregnant with #4 and don't think I can handle this on top of my nausea and fatigue!

Sorry this turned into a pity party!! I really wanted to know if anyone could help me diagnose this and treat it more effectively. When I showed the holes in my nipples to my family practioner last time her only suggestion was weaning

Thanks for reading,
Tawnya

fwiw...I have nursed for almost all of the last 9 years and this has only happened with ds3.

[pdxmomazon]

I couldn't read and not post. I'm sorry. I have no advice but that sounds awful! I hope another mama can help!

[yoginisarah]

I just went through this with my 1 year old. Horrible holes in the base of my nipple and then trush. The only way for me to heal them was to only pump for a few days. I tried only pumping during the day and then nursing at night but as soon as she would nurse they would break open, bleed, and thrush would set in. But with pumping only, they healed within 3 days.
I don't know if this is any advice, but yah, I'd say you need to only nurse on the other side and express from the injured side.

I know how incredibly painful and awful this is and am hoping it goes away soon for you.

[tawferdo]

probably thrush?!?

Thanks so much for the support! So...you had the fissures before the trush symptoms?? Ugh...the idea of having thrush again makes me want to cry I tried to pump last time and it nearly detached my nipple! At least I won't have to do too much expressing because my milk is all but gone with this new pregnancy. Poor ds cried at bedtime because he "really wanted dat udder booby!"

Tawnya

Originally Posted by yoginisarah

I just went through this with my 1 year old. Horrible holes in the base of my nipple and then trush. The only way for me to heal them was to only pump for a few days. I tried only pumping during the day and then nursing at night but as soon as she would nurse they would break open, bleed, and thrush would set in. But with pumping only, they healed within 3 days.
I don't know if this is any advice, but yah, I'd say you need to only nurse on the other side and express from the injured side.

I know how incredibly painful and awful this is and am hoping it goes away soon for you.

[Kirstyandgirls]

Ditto

I've had the same thing and I've been batteling with recurrent thrush for over 6 months.

Perhaps you could try some thrush treatment to see if it helps

Kirsty x